Potato-digger



(No Model.) -2 S heets--Sheet 1.

J. W. SCOTT.

.POTATO BIGGER.

No. 364,443. Patented June 7, 1887.

ATTORN YS.

N. PETERS, Mala-Lithograph? Wadvlo ion. D. Q

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. W. SCOTT.

POTATO BIGGER.

(No Model.)

No. 364,443. Patented June 7, 1887.

I WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY S.

n. PETERS, Fholo-mmgnplur. wunmmn. n o,

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE;

JAMES w. sooTT, or UHRICHSVILLE, OHIO.

POTATO-BIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,443, dated June. 7, 1887.

Application filed November 15, 1886. Serial No. 2l8,fll.2. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs W. SooTT, of Uhrichsville, in the county of Tusearawas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved PotatoDigger, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved potatodigger which is si mple and durable in construction and very effective in operation.

The invention consists of various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 90 a; of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4is a vertical cross.- section of the same on the line g y of Fig. 3.

The frame A, of suitable construction, is mounted on the axle B, carrying the drivingwheels 0 and 0, each provided with the internal gear-wheel, D, into which meshes the pinion D, attached to the shaft E, mounted in suitable hearings on theplow-frame, fulcrumed on the main axle, and provided on its front crossbeam, F, with a standard, G, on which is mounted a shaft, H, carrying a pinion, H, which meshes into rack-teeth formed on the frame I, secured to the tongue A.

On the shaft H is fastened a crank-arm, J, carrying a swinging hand-lever, J, which op crates a pawl, J engaging a ratchet-wheel, J cast on the standard G.

The plow-frame F carries on its rear ends two beams, to which is secured by bolts the plow or scraper F, of suitable construction. On the rear end of the plow or scraper F is situated the shaker K, which is provided with a number of slats or bars, K, pivoted at their inner ends to the bottom plate of the said scraper F and united with each other by the crossbar K pivotally connected with each of the said slats K. One end of the cross-bar K is provided with the screw L, pivotally connected with the forked arm L, fulcrumed on one side of the plow-frame F. 011 the other end of the bar K is a similar screw, L

' which is pivotally connected with the doubleforked arm N, fulcrumed by its upper fork on the lever O, pivoted on an arm, F extending from the rear of the plow-frame F.

The upper end of the lever O connects, by the link 1, wit-l the screw-rod Q, screwingin the horizontal lever-frame R, pivoted on top of the plow-frame F, and connected by the eccentric-rod S with the eccentric T, placed loosely on the pinionshaft E, and provided on its hub with clutclrtceth, which engage the clutch U, mounted to slide on and rotate with the said shaft E.

A forked lever, V, pivoted on the plow-frame F, serves to throw the clutch U in and out of gear with the eccentric T. The outer end of the lever V will be held in a locked position on the lug WV, attached to the frame F. The machine is provided with the usual drivers seat and tongue.

The operation is as follows: The plow or scraper F can be raised out of the ground or let into the ground to any desired depth by movingthe crank-arm J forward or backward, after first withdrawing the pawl J from the ratchet-wheel J so that the pinion H, acting on the rack-teeth of the stationary frame 1,-

causes aswinging motion of theplow-frame F, fulcrumed on the axle B, so that the scraper F is raisedor lowered. \Vhcn the machine is moved forward,the gear-wheel D on thedriving-wheel G imparts a rotary motion to the shaft E and its clutch U by means of the pinion D. When the clutch is thrown in gear with the eccentric T, by means of the lever V, then a swinging mot-ion is imparted to the frame R, which, by means of the screw Q, and the link P, imparts asidewise rocking motion to the lever O, fulcrumed on the arm F, and

this motion is transmitted by the arm N to the shaker K, so that the latter swings sidewise and up and down, on account of having its cross-bar K pivotally connected to the arms L and N on the sides of the machine. It will be seen that by this rocking motion of the shaker the slats K will swing sidewise independent] y, on account of being fulcrnmed with their inner ends on the bottom plate of the scraper F. Thus the ground and the potatoes,

which pass over thebottom plate of the scraper toward the rear and upon the shaker K, are thoroughly agitated and separated by the rocking motion of said shaker K. The cross-bar the axle and the tongue extended rearward over the front part of the frame and secured to the axle, of the standard G, projecting upward from the front end of the frame alongside of the tongue, and provided with the transverse shaft, an operating-lever, and a pinion, H, and the open frame I, con nected at its lower end to the tongue and receiving the said pin- "ion, and having teeth on one vertical inner edge engaging said pinion, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the frame, the axle, and the drive-wheels, of the scraper, the shaker having rearwardly-extending slats pivotally connected at their inner ends to the scraper to swing horizontally, and means for reciprocating said slats simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the scraper of a pOtatodiggcr, ofa series ofhorizontallyswinging slats pivotally connected at their inner ends to the rear edge of the scraper and a cross-bar pivotally connected to each slat, suspension-rods pivotally connectedto said crossbar at their lower ends, and one of said rods pivoted to the frame, or apart thereof, atits upper end, an upward]y-extending lever piv- V otcd near its lower end on the rear end of the frame, or apart thereof, and connected to the upper end of the other suspension-rod, and means for rocking said lever laterally, substantially as set forth.

4. In a potatodigger, the driving-wheels C and O, the axle B, on which the wheels are mounted, the gear-wheels D, attached to the said driviiigwheels, the pinions D, mesh ng into the said gearwheel, the shaft E, carry ng the said pinion,and the plow-frame F,on Which the said shaft is mounted, said frame being fulcrumed on the axle B and provided with the scraper F, in combination with the shaker K, consisting of the slats K, pivoted at their inner ends on the bottom plate of the said scraper F the cross-bar K uniting the said slats K, and means for imparting a s-idewise motion to the said cross-bar from the said shaft E, sub stantially as shown and described.

5. In apotato-diggenthe plow-frame F, carrying the scraper F and the shaft E, the shaker K, provided with slats K, pivoted to the bottom plate of the scraper F and the cross-bar K pivotal] y connected to the said slats K, in combination with the pivoted arms L and N, connected with the said cross-bar K the lever 0, connected with the said arm N, the pivoted frame It, connected with the said lever O by means of screw Q, and the link P,- the eccentric-rod S, operating on the said frame R, an d the eccentric T, placed on the said shaft E and rotating with the same when engaged with the clutch U,su'bstantially as shown and described.

6. In a potato-digger, the scraper F in combination with the slats K, pivoted on the said scraper, the crossbar K, connecting the said slats K, the screws L and L on the said cross-bar K the arms L and N, pivotallyeonnected with the said screws, and means for imparting a rocking motion to the said arm N, substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination, with the framc,the axle, the clrive-whcels,aud the scraper,oftheshaker at the rear ofthe scraper and the horizontallyswinging frame pivoted on the main frame, and having a longitudinally-adjustable screw in connection with the shaker and operated from the drive-wheels, substantially as set forth.

JAMES XV. SCOTT.

\Vitnesses:

S. W. ANDREAS, E. A. PARRISH. 

